Results for The Replacements

interviews

106Bob Mehr on The Replacements

The mythology of The Replacements can overshadow the actual music – from their infamously volatile live shows, to their wild drinking, to Paul Westerberg's legendary songwriting genius, and to their commerial ailures. But author Bob Mehr reveals a more complicated story of the Minneapolis band in his new book Trouble Boys: The True Story of The Replacements. As he explains to Jim and Greg, Bob traces much of The Mats' personality to their troubled upbringings, particularly that of guitarist Bob Stinson. Though the band's records from the early '80s were influenced by hardcore punk, Westerberg always had a latent sensitive side that fully emerged on the 1984 masterpiece (and Classic Album Dissection recipient) Let It Be. The Replacements signed to a major label for the 1985 album Tim, but Bob describes a combination of self-destruction and bad timing that ultimately kept the band off the charts. The Replacements broke up in 1991, but its influence was soon heard all over the alternative rock explosion. The enormous crowds at the band's recent reunion shows are testament to the enormous impact the music has had on generations of fans, even if that big hit song always eluded them.

1217Colin Meloy

Next up on the show is an interview with Decemberists lead singer Colin Meloy. Colin came through town on his solo tour and seemed to be enjoying a break from the major label bureaucracy that is now involved in launching a Decemberists tour.

After performing "Tristan and Isolde," a song he wrote with his first band, Tarkio, Colin discusses his literary roots. While he does put heavy emphasis on narrative in his music, this songwriter hesitates to call himself a storyteller. He cannot hesitate to call himself an author, however — Colin wrote about The Replacements' Let It Be for the ‘33 1/3’ series, describing the impact that that album made on him as a budding musician.

The next song is "Barbara Allen," a tune originally performed by Shirley Collins, a British folk revivalist who has been a big inspiration to Colin. He explains that fans can look forward to hearing more Collins on the next Decemberists record. These same fans can also look forward to Jim's bodhrán jam session with the band.

specials

301Touch and Go Records

This week Jim and Greg wanted to take a look at one of the music industry's most important independent labels: Touch and Go Records. Touch and Go recently turned 25 and celebrated with a three-day bash at Chicago's Hideout Block Party. Over the course of the show, you‘ll hear why Jim and Greg wanted to focus on this modest Chicago label. You’ll also hear from the founder himself, Corey Rusk, and a number of the label's artists, including Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys, Janet Weiss from Quasi (and formerly Sleater-Kinney), Ted Leo, David Yow from Scratch Acid and The Jesus Lizard and recording engineer and musician Steve Albini of Big Black and Shellac fame.

Touch and Go's founder Corey Rusk is known not just as a tastemaker with an incredible ear for talent, but also as one of the most honest businessmen in the biz. This is what separates Touch and Go from other labels, major and independent alike. Rusk's business model, which doesn't shy away from the Internet and which relies merely on trust and a handshake, has kept it going for 25 years, helping it to outlive its peers. Labels like Twin/Tone in Minneapolis, which launched The Replacements, SST in California which launched Black Flag and Hüsker Dü, and I.R.S. in which launched R.E.M. and The Go Go's, all emerged in the early '80s after punk's mainstream explosion and before alternative's reign. However, Touch and Go is the only one of the bunch not only to stay in business, but to do so successfully and independently.

The best way to understand the label's significance is to sample some of the music. You'll hear these songs in our short-but-sweet montage of Touch and Go music:

Killdozer, "Hi There"

Girls Against Boys, "Kill the Sexplayer"

The Dirty Three, "Doris"

Jesus Lizard, "Mouth Breather"

TV on the Radio, "Dreams"

Butthole Surfers, "Fast"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Art Star"

Calexico, "Cruel"

Touch and Go has put out a lot of music over the past quarter century, but Jim and Greg both manage to pick their single favorite T&G tracks. Greg goes first and chooses "Stage 2000" by Seam. Touch and Go is often thought of as the place to go to for loud, hard-edged punk music, and that is certainly true. However, their roster is actually quite diverse, and there are a number of bands like Seam, who are making beautiful, soft, melodic music.“Stage 2000”is on Greg's favorite Seam album, The Problem With Me. That album was recorded with Chicago producer Brad Wood, best known for producing Liz Phair's classic Exile in Guyville.

Jim's Touch and Go pick is "Kerosene" by Big Black off their 1985 album Atomizer. Though Atomizer was initially released by Homestead Records, Big Black moved to Touch and Go a year later, and the label reissued the band's entire catalog. So we'll let Jim slide on this one — especially since no one has been as closely associated with Touch and Go as Big Black founder Steve Albini. Albini came to Chicago to study journalism at Northwestern, and Jim can hear this sensibility in his lyrics. Songs like "Kerosene" are essentially sensationalistic tabloid stories backed with thrashing noise-rock.

105Desert Island Jukebox

Frequently at the end of Sound Opinions, Jim and Greg add songs to the Desert Island Jukebox. This jukebox is filled with tracks that Jim and Greg would take with them if stranded on a desert island. They‘ve posed this same age-old rock question to many of their guests. In this episode you’ll hear the music that these artists say they can't live without:

classic album dissections

1305The Replacements Let It Be

This week's feature is a Classic Album Dissection of The Replacements' 1984 release Let It Be. Unlike previously dissected albums like Revolver and Songs in the Key of Life, Let It Be wasn‘t a major critical or commercial success. But, Jim and Greg believe it’s one of the greatest albums ever made. It was the fourth album from the Minneapolis band, which was comprised of four“scruffy”members: Paul Westerberg, Bob Stinson, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars. As Jim and Greg explain, this album put the band on the map and helped to define what we know today as“indie music.”To learn more about the making of Let It Be and why it's so special, Jim and Greg talk with longtime Minneapolis music journalist Jim Walsh who has written an oral history of the band called "The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting."

Jim, Greg and Jim Walsh discuss what a radical change Let It Be was for The Replacements. While their previous albums were dominated by noisy, silly tracks, this recording sprinkled those trademark Replacements songs ("Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out," "Gary's Got a Boner") with more mature, heartfelt songs penned by Paul Westerberg. An example of this is the track "Unsatisfied," which Jim and Greg both believe is the highlight of Let It Be. Greg describes the song as“emotional bloodletting,”and an indication of how much Westerberg had grown as a songwriter. He also points out how inventive the instrumentation, which includes 12-string and lap steel guitar, was for the band and punk music in general. Jim calls "Unsatisfied" the "Satisfaction" of the post-punk generation. The song asks a question everyone can relate to:“Is this all there is in life?”But, as Jim notes, there was more in store for The Replacements after the release of Let It Be. It cemented them as an important band in rockhistory, and even though Westerberg and the band didn't go on to achieve similar greatness, Let It Be will go down as one of the great albums in the rock canon.

1284The Replacements Let It Be

The Replacements reunion offers us a great reason to revisit our 2007 Classic Album Dissection of the 1984 release Let It Be. Unlike previously dissected albums like Revolver and Songs in the Key of Life, Let It Be wasn't a major critical or commercial success. But, Jim and Greg believe it's one of the greatest albums ever made. It was the 4th album from the Minneapolis band, which was comprised of four“scruffy”members: Paul Westerberg, Bob Stinson, Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars. As Jim and Greg explain, this album put the band on the map and helped to define what we know today as "indie music." To learn more about the making of Let It Be and why it's so special, Jim and Greg talk with longtime Minneapolis music journalist Jim Walsh, author of The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting. To cap it all off Jim and Greg play what they think is the ultimate Let It Be song: Unsatisfied.

328Big Star Radio City

During this episode Jim and Greg celebrate the legacy of Big Star with a Classic Album Dissection of their first two records, #1 Record and Radio City. Both albums have recently been re-released as a double album, and a new Big Star box set is due out next week. As Jim and Greg discuss, the band changed the history of American music without selling very many records. With a sound that combined Memphis Soul with British Invasion rock, they laid the groundwork for "Power Pop" and influenced bands including R.E.M., Wilco and The Replacements. The original Big Star lineup included former Box Tops singer Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jim and Greg's guest this week, drummerJody Stephens.

Following their discussion with Jody Stephens, Jim and Greg each discuss and play a song. Greg chooses to highlight the opening track from #1 Record called "Feel." The song was written and performed by Chris Bell. While Alex Chilton is the name most people associate with Big Star, Bell really created it. Most of his incredible work didn't see the light of day until after his death at age 26, but Greg thinks songs like“Feel,”illustrate the power of his voice and lyrics–many of which convey the problems he faced in his short life.

Jim plays a song written and performed by Alex Chilton from the second album called September Gurls. As he discussed with Jody earlier in the show, this was a breakout song for the band and one that was immediately adored by critics and fans including The Bangles, who later covered it. Jim's not sure what the song means, but for him it's more about the mood that Chilton created. With its sweeping melodies and“pan-sexuality”it's a power pop classic.

381Big Star #1 Record

Jim and Greg celebrate the 40th anniversary of Big Star's debut album by revisiting their Classic Album Dissection of the band's first two records, #1 Record and Radio City. #1 Record might be nearing middle age, but the pop sound Big Star pioneered in the seventies is as vibrant as ever. As Jim and Greg discuss, the band changed the history of American music, without selling very many records. With a sound that combined MemphisSoul with British Invasionrock, they laid the groundwork for American“Power Pop”and influenced bands including R.E.M., Wilco and The Replacements. The original Big Star lineup included former Box Tops singer Alex Chilton, Chris Bell, Andy Hummel and Jim and Greg's guest this week, drummer Jody Stephens.

Following their discussion with Jody Stephens, Jim and Greg each discuss and play a song. Greg chooses to highlight the opening track from #1 Record called "Feel." The song was written and performed by Chris Bell. While Alex Chilton is the name most people associate with Big Star, Bell really created it. Most of his incredible work didn't see the light of day until after his death at age 26, but Greg thinks songs like“Feel,”illustrate the power of his voice and lyrics-many of which convey the problems he faced in his short life.

Jim plays a song written and performed by Alex Chilton from the second album called "September Gurls." As he discussed with Jody earlier in the show, this was a breakout song for the band and one that was immediately adored by critics and fans including The Bangles, who later covered it. Jim's not sure what the song means, but for him it's more about the mood that Chilton created. With its sweeping melodies and“pan-sexuality”it's a power pop classic.

dijs

2993Greg

“Ooh La La”The Faces,The Faces

After talking about the Isley Brothers' extensive box set earlier, it reminded Greg of another box set he recently received by British rockers, The Faces. The band, which included members Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, was often perceived as a group of drunken rogues and were most famous for their song "Stay With Me." Even though a number of the key members are now long gone, the group influenced acts like Wilco and The Replacements with their English rock sound. Despite their rowdy reputation, their song lyrics indicate that they were actually just young men afraid of having their hearts broken. For this episode's Desert Island Jukebox pick, Greg wanted to play the title track from their last album, "Ooh La La" that really highlights Ronnie Wood's singing as well as his songwriting skills (he co-authored the track with bandmate Ronnie Lane.)

lists

764Anti-Love Songs

With the ghost of St. Valentine looming over us all, this week's show is dedicated to those music fans for whom "Love Stinks." Jim and Greg discuss their favorite anti-love songs and hear some listeners' picks. Here are some songs to get you out of the mood for Valentine's Day.

Jim

The Rolling Stones, "Bitch"

The Velvet Underground, "There She Goes Again"

Redd Kross, "I Don't Know How To Be Your Friend"

The Sex Pistols, "Pretty Vacant"

Ice Cube, "It's a Man's World"

Greg

Marvin Gaye, "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You"

Marianne Faithfull, "Why'd You Do It"

The Replacements, "Answering Machine"

Richard and Linda Thompson, "Walking on a Wire"

The Afghan Whigs, "When We Two Parted"

Listener Picks

The Buzzcocks, "Ever Fallen in Love?"

Bob Dylan, "Idiot Wind"

The Cure, "Pictures of You"

Roxy Music, "Just Another High"

The Beatles, "I'm Looking Through You"

Joy Division, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

"Bitch" by The Rolling Stones

Never ones to shy away from statements against love — or even, occasionally, against women — the Rolling Stones just might be the poster boys for this entire show. This song off the band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers is not so much about a single "Bitch" as it is about how love's a bitch. It's the perfect way for Jim to kick off the show.

"When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" by Marvin Gaye

"When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" is one of many anti-love songs on Marvin Gaye's 1978 release Here, My Dear. The inspirations for this double album were Gaye's failed marriage to Anna Gordy (sister of Motown impresario Berry Gordy), his subsequent divorce, and perhaps more significant, his divorce settlement. In the track Greg chooses, Gaye lets it all out, and asks a question anyone facing a dying relationship has wanted to ask.

"Ever Fallen in Love?" by The Buzzocks

The next song was caller Lisa's choice, and it begs another common question faced by the lovelorn. It's a favorite of our hosts because it is just so true. Who can't say yes when The Buzzcocks' lead singer Pete Shelley asks, "Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn‘t’ve fallen in love with?"

"Idiot Wind" by Bob Dylan

It was hard for the next caller, Ron, to choose just one song off of Bob Dylan's 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. Like Here, My Dear, this album was inspired by a failed marriage. Therefore, a number of its songs illustrate tonight's theme. Ron goes with "Idiot Wind," which has Dylan abandoning his poetic tendencies and not mincing words.

"Pictures of You" by The Cure

Jim and Greg next speak with Clare who chooses "Pictures of You" by everyone's favorite lovesickGoth rockers. Even the instrumental opening of the song moved this caller, who notes that almost half of The Cure's catalog could apply to this show. This is an interesting point considering lead singer Robert Smith has been married to his childhood sweetheart for almost twenty years. Thankfully life does not always imitate art.

"There She Goes Again" by The Velvet Underground

Jim chose The Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again" because its great pop structure (based on Marvin Gaye's "Hitchhike") is perfectly juxtaposed with some very non-pop lyrics. While neither Jim nor Greg recommend that angry lovers follow Lou Reed's advice, they both highly recommend listening.

"Why'd You Do It" by Marianne Faithfull

Greg tries to one-up Jim's venomous choice with his next pick. And based on the number of times Sound Opinions H.Q. had to censor the song, he may have succeeded. "Why'd You Do It" was originally written for Tina Turner, but after a recently-jilted Marianne Faithfull heard the song, she knew it was meant for her. Despite what Faithfull's oh-so-vain ex-boyfriend Mick Jagger might believe, her inspiration for the recording came from then-husband Ben Bradley's frequent infidelity. If any song lyrics could have the power to put a straying man in his place, these are certainly them.

"I Don't Know How To Be Your Friend" by Redd Kross

Jim puts the vitriol to rest for a moment with his next song. More about heartbreak than hate, "I Don't Know How To Be Your Friend" reflects the frustration faced by anyone who has ever tried to turn a friendship into something more. Jim may have never had the guts to make this statement to a platonic female friend, but when he heard LA musicians Redd Kross sing this sentiment in 1990, he completely identified.

"Answering Machine" by The Replacements

Greg gets tender on us with this next track. He chooses a song from The Replacements' 1984 album Let It Be. In "Answering Machine," Paul Westerberg is struggling with how to express his emotions to such a cold and impersonal device. While answering machines are much more ubiquitous now than they were at the time the song was written, they still cause problems for the sensitive at heart.

"Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols rarely sang about matters of the heart, but in Jim's next pick for a great anti-love song, Johnny Rotten directs his ever-present anger toward someone he is obviously not in love with. In addition to being cathartic, it pays to speak from the heart; "Pretty Vacant" was the first Sex Pistols single not banned upon its release in the U.K.

"Walking on a Wire" by Richard and Linda Thompson

Greg stays on the British side of the pond for his next pick — a song that's more subtle, but no less painful. Husband and wife folk-rock team Richard and Linda Thompson wrote the song just prior to Richard leaving for a solo tour. When he returned, he announced that he had fallen in love with another, but that didn't stop the Thompsons from finishing the album and promoting it on tour. While Richard denies the notion that "Walking on a Wire" was the result of his break-up with Linda, Greg, who saw the marital fireworks firsthand, is not convinced.

"Just Another High" by Roxy Music

This song suggestion comes from Matt, a caller who admires Bryan Ferry's bitingly sarcastic lyrics. "Just Another High" was released on Roxy Music's 1975 album Siren, which features Ferry's then girlfriend Jeri Hall as its cover model. Hall eventually left this sarcastic Brit for another, but at least Ferry wasn't hit where it really hurts.

"I'm Looking Through You" by The Beatles

The Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You," from Kate, sounds like it was penned by John Lennon, who always had a better“love stinks”attitude. The credit, however, goes to Paul McCartney.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division

Rory calls in with this suggestion, explaining that after he put it on a mix for a girlfriend, the relationship quickly came to an end. Whether or not the song had a subconscious effect on that relationship, it does have an eerie and sad mythology. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was one of Joy Division's last songs, and was recorded just weeks before the band's lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide.

"It's a Man's World" by Ice Cube

This duet between Ice Cube and rapper Yo-Yo was recorded before Ice Cube softened his image. "It's a Man's World" is a brutal exchange between the sexes where one insult is topped by another. Combined with a great James Brown sample, the result is the perfect anti-love song for Jim.

"When We Two Parted" by the Afghan Whigs

While "grunge" was not the appropriate label for the R&B- and soul-inspired band the Afghan Whigs, their music was no sunnier than that of fellow angst-rockers Nirvana or Mudhoney. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Greg Dulliwrote "When We Two Parted," and every song on Gentleman, about a bad break-up. The songwriter has said that the album was a response to Van Morrison's critically acclaimed album Astral Weeks, but Greg believes it's a masterpiece in its own right.

386Songs About Radio

This week's feature celebrates an important, albeit struggling medium: Radio. Last year national radio revenue fell 18%, and the industry overseas isn't immune either. Even powerhouse BBC has been facing tough economic times. While bands have many other methods of promotion and distribution these days, radio airplay still significantly boosts record sales. Musicians are now looking to radio performances as another source of revenue. Jim and Greg both fondly remember discovering new bands on their FM dials. To honor that legacy, they play these great Radio-Inspired Tracks:

Jim

Wall of Voodoo, "Mexican Radio"

R.E.M., "Radio Free Europe"

Donna Summer, "On the Radio"

Nirvana, "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter"

Greg

625Ultimate Summer Mixtape

Summer officially begins in a couple of weeks, and in honor of these lazy, hazy days and hot, sweaty nights, Jim and Greg have decided to re-run one of their favorite shows which celebrates the best songs of the season. These are the tracks that would make up their ultimate summer mix-tape:

The Rivieras, "California Sun"

The Beach Boys, "All Summer Long"

Patti Smith, "Dancing Barefoot"

Wire, "Sand in My Joints"

Wreckx-N-Effect, "Rump Shaker"

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Mr. Heatmiser"

Sly and the Family Stone, "Hot Fun in the Summertime"

Bananarama, "Cruel Summer"

On Sound Opinions, everyone is a critic. So, Jim and Greg turned to the phones for some other Summer Song suggestions. Here are what the callers recommend:

740Ultimate Summer Mixtape

Summer officially begins June 21, and in honor of these lazy, hazy days and hot, sweaty nights, Jim and Greg have decided to run down their favorite songs that represent the season. These songs would make up their ultimate summer mixtape:

Rivieras, "California Sun"

The Beach Boys, "All Summer Long"

Patti Smith, "Dancing Barefoot"

Wire, "Sand in My Joints"

Wreckx-N-Effect, "Rump Shaker"

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, "Mr. Heatmiser"

Sly & the Family Stone, "Hot Fun in the Summertime"

Bananarama, "Cruel Summer"

On Sound Opinions, everyone is a critic. So, Jim and Greg turned to the phones for some other Summer Song suggestions. Here are what the callers recommend:

104Hero Worship

Today's theme is Hero Worship. The genesis of this idea was that we here at Sound Opinions started noticing that a lot of artists have written songs about their own heroes. Think of Bob Dylan's "Song To Woody." It's the kind of love only one rocker could express to another. Though when it comes to name-checking important musical figures, critics like Jim and Greg come a close second. Here are their favorite moments of musical Hero Worship.

Jim

The Replacements, "Alex Chilton"

Television Personalities, "I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives"

Cheap Trick, "Surrender"

Robyn Hitchcock, "I Saw Nick Drake"

Greg

106Hero Worship

Without a doubt, musicians influence one another. Sometimes in subtle ways with a borrowed riff or lyric. Sometimes by overtly name-checking another artist. This week, we look at those obvious examples of Hero Worship - songs written about another musican. Think of Bob Dylan's Song to Woody, or David Bowie's Song For Bob Dylan. Jim and Greg picked some tracks from their musical heroes, that mention other musical heroes.

Greg

features

3064Hooked On Sonics: Jody Stephens of Big Star

Hooked on Sonics is a segment where musicians share the songs that made them fall in love with music. Drummer Jody Stephens helped form pivotal Memphisrock group Big Star, alongside vocalist and songwriter Alex Chilton. Big Star, is, in many ways, more famous now than they were during their first 1970s incarnation. In the 1980s and 1990s, a whole new generation discovered the group after The Replacements and REM cited them as influences.
Today, Jody works at the famous Ardent Studios down in Memphis; but as a kid, it was music from a completely different part of the world that got him Hooked on Sonics. That song was I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles. But, as you'll hear, it all came around full circle.

news

109Music News

METZ, Metric, Arcade Fire, Handsome Furs, Feist… it's been quite a decade for Canadian music. Jim and Greg wonder, what's in the water up there? So they talk to Steve Jordan, founder of the Canadian music prize Polaris about this year's crop of nominees and what value, if any, music prizes still have in today's landscape. Jim and Greg are impressed by the diversity of Polaris shortlist artists, and are even more impressed as to how democratic the prize is, especially compared to our own Grammy's.‎

After more than 20 years, The Replacements have finally reunited for a series of RiotFest shows. Fans have been clamoring for a Replacements reunion since the band broke up in 1991. So was it a success? Jim and Greg share their experience at the RiotFest show in Chicago. You can also check out their print reviews here and here.

138Music News

With the release of Nielsen's SoundScan year-end sales figures for 2013, Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines has officially been crowned the top-selling single of the year with 6.5 million units. Hot on Thicke's heels were Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Thrift Shop and Imagine Dragons' Radioactive with 6.15 million and 5.5 million respectively. Turning to albums, Justin Timberlake claimed the top spot with 2.43 million copies of The 20/20 Experience sold. Though, Jim and Greg note that the album's numbers happen to be the lowest sales for a #1 record in Nielsen history.

The report also revealed other interesting trends in the music industry. Vinyl record enthusiasts continued to show the love for LPs in 2013 with sales up 33% over the year before. People loved streaming their music, as well, but digital sales were down 6%. This has Jim and Greg wondering: is the stream going to kill the download?

Speaking of death and downloads… Last week, Jim and Greg reported the loss of pioneering countryrocker Phil Everly. Apparently they weren‘t the only ones mourning. In the week after Phil’s passing, fans downloaded 18,000 Everly Brothers songs, a whopping 696% increase from the previous week. Dying, it turns out, can be a great career move.

Coachella Music Festival has released its full 2014 lineup. In addition to top headliners Arcade Fire, Muse, and OutKast (who are reuniting for the first time since 2007), the desert super-show will feature Girl Talk, Lana Del Rey, Motörhead, Lorde, plus two bonus reunions: The Replacements and Neutral Milk Hotel.

In other live music news, the NFL has beefed up its plans for the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show. Just in case main act Bruno Mars wasn‘t enough to satisfy America’s burning need for overhyped pop spectacle, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be joining him onstage. What a combination, Greg laments.

If the Nielsen numbers were any sign, streaming music is here to stay. And now another big player is hoping to break into that (already crowded) market: Beats Music. Spearheaded by Dr. Dre, Trent Reznor, and record exec Jimmy Iovine, the new streaming service aims to offer a more curated listening experience than its competitors. Rather than using algorithms to help users find music, Beats will rely on experts from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone—and your esteemed Sound Opinions hosts! But Jim and Greg wanted to know how the service compensates artists and labels, something for which Spotify and Pandora have taken flak. CEO Ian Rogers explains that because Beats Music won‘t be available for free, the company will pay extra for each song streamed. With the majority of every subscription fee going toward giving rights holders their fair share, Rogers says that what’s good for Beats Music is good for the industry.

105Music News

Universal Music, the home to U2, Eminem and Lil Wayne, has decided to drop its CD prices to $10 or less. These new prices will certainly be welcome by both consumers and retailers, but Jim and Greg wonder if this is a case of too little, too late for the music industry. CDs were nearly $20 a decade ago when physical music sales were at a high. Now that those sales are down, $10 may draw some consumers back in, but it's still a heck of a lot more expensive than an mp3.

Next Jim and Greg remember musician Alex Chilton who died last week at the age of 59. Chilton first came on the scene as the 16-year-old singer of The Box Tops' "The Letter." He then joined Big Star, and as Jim and Greg explain, became hugely significant to musicians in the 1980's. Big Star was never a commercial hit, but everyone from REM to The Replacements has name-checked Chilton and the band's power-pop sound as an influence. The singer and songwriter died only days before a scheduled Big Star reunion at SXSW. The event turned into a tribute, one that Greg describes as one of the most memorable shows he's ever seen. To honor Alex Chilton Jim and Greg play a song from Big Star's third release Third/Sister Lovers called "Thank You Friends." For more Big Star love, check out the Sound Opinions Classic Album Dissections of #1 Record and Radio City.

111Music News

First up in the news is the official announcement of The Policereunion, which will kick off at this month's Grammy Awards. Jim and Greg asked Police guitarist Andy Summers about a potential reunion when he was on the show last year, but he wouldn‘t give up any secrets. What isn’t a secret is the potential for big bucks — something our hosts suspect to be the prime reason for Sting, Summers and Stewart Copeland joining forces again. Also cashing in on a reunion is Van Halen. The band has announced it will perform at the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, with a possible tour to follow. And, with pending reunions by Rage Against the Machine and Smashing Pumpkins, 2007 is poised to be the year of the reunion. Jim and Greg are still keeping their fingers crossed for reunions by The Smiths, Hüsker Dü and The Replacements.

Also making news is rocker Tom Waits. He sued car manufacturer Opel for using his vocal likeness in a recent Scandanavian ad campaign. Waits refused to lend his own voice to the commercial, so he believed Opel went out and found the next best thing. A judge agreed, and Opel was forced to pay an undisclosed settlement which Waits plans to give to charity. This isn't the first time the singer has had to tangle with an auto company. Last year he won a case against Volkswagen-Audi, which also impersonated his voice and changed his song without permission.

Next up Jim and Greg discuss YouTube's new plan to share revenue with some of its content providers. The website's co-founder Chad Hurley made the announcement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and explained that revenues will only be shared with users who own the full copyright of their material. Guess this means that Lasse Gjertsen should be expecting a check sometime soon.